quote:A Missouri obstetrician separated a baby's head from his body during delivery and then shoved the newborn back into the mother and performed an emergency C-section to cover up the ghastly blunder, a couple claims in a lawsuit.

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by TIGERSandFROGS on 10/12/12 at 7:00 pm to Northgate

quote:Where's the chorus of those who claim that doctors represent "the best and the brightest?"

That doesn't apply to OB/Gyn's.

I kid, kid.

But seriously, there's no reason this OB could have assumed that a 28 weeker would get stuck in the birth canal. It's almost unbelievable that it happened.

Edit: and encouraging mothers to do vaginal delivery, especially when the child is as small as a 28 weeker, is standard practice. Delivering a baby with suction delivery (a giant suction cup placed on the crown of the head and pulling on it, for those that don't know) when they get stuck in the canal is standard practice. That baby must have been REALLY stuck for traction that is sufficient to pull the head off to not be enough to get the baby out. That's basically unheard of even with term babies.

And this is absolutely horrible story that will likely cause me to freak out if I ever see another suction delivery, especially if it's my kid someday.

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by LSUTigerguy789 on 10/12/12 at 7:33 pm to lsuwontonwrap

quote:Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it up

I don't think the head actually popped off and separated from the body like some of you seem to think. I think what they mean is that he had an atlanto-occipital dislocation, otherwise known as an internal decapitation.

If there is dystocia during delivery and they can't deliver with forceps or suction, standard practice is to push the baby back in an perform a C-section. This is not as far-fetched as it seems, but I don't know about the part about trying to cover it up.

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by TIGERSandFROGS on 10/12/12 at 8:52 pm to LSUTigerguy789

quote:I don't think the head actually popped off and separated from the body like some of you seem to think. I think what they mean is that he had an atlanto-occipital dislocation, otherwise known as an internal decapitation.

See, I think what you meant to say was that you came in here and tried to correct everyone, but you didn't bother to read the article.

quote:During the procedure, Webb "surgically and completely removed" the boy's head from his body, the complaint said.

quote:In an attempt to pull the boy loose, Webb applied traction to his head and "separated (the boy's) head from his cervical spine," the complaint said.

Blood "shot out" from the newborn's neck in full view of his parents, the complaint said.

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by HeadChange on 10/12/12 at 9:06 pm to LSUTigerguy789

quote:I don't think the head actually popped off and separated from the body like some of you seem to think. I think what they mean is that he had an atlanto-occipital dislocation, otherwise known as an internal decapitation.

My thoughts. I wouldn't figure the head was severed somehow and they just shoved it back in there

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by CRNA-KA on 10/12/12 at 9:38 pm to lsuwontonwrap

I am not sure how much of this story to believe. I have been involved in over a 1000 c sections and even though the docs pull aggressively on the head, whether its by c section or vaginal delivery, it would be extremely unlikely for something like this to happen.

re: Couple sues doctors for decapitating baby during delivery and covering it upPosted by lsu480 on 10/12/12 at 9:47 pm to TIGERSandFROGS

quote:Edit: and encouraging mothers to do vaginal delivery, especially when the child is as small as a 28 weeker, is standard practice. Delivering a baby with suction delivery (a giant suction cup placed on the crown of the head and pulling on it, for those that don't know) when they get stuck in the canal is standard practice. That baby must have been REALLY stuck for traction that is sufficient to pull the head off to not be enough to get the baby out. That's basically unheard of even with term babies.

When I was born in 1978 I guess I got stuck and the doctor had to use some device resembling salad tongs and it fractured my skull on each side......at least my head didn't get ripped off though!!!!